Month: July 2013

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He was one of several great saints that lived during what could be called the Golden Age of the Church. Born in 1491, he was one of several saints the Lord raised up during the time of the Reformation. Other great saints of his time were some he formed as founder of the Society of Jesus, such as Francis Xavier and Aloysius Gonzaga. Other contemporary saints, just to name of few were St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Philip […]

Recently I was speaking with someone who was having a difficult moment. The basic issue at hand was a proper understanding of her own beauty, which means being able to see herself as God sees her. Life can be difficult, and our many experiences, particularly as young people, begin to form the way we think about our self. When enough bad experiences add up, depending upon our personality and chemistry, we can begin to think very negatively of our self, and even of others, God, and the world. One of the critical challenges of our […]

Friday, I was passing through the area of Huntington, Indiana and decided to stop in for a visit. The Victory Noll Sisters have a long history of sending sisters to serve in Wyoming. Their primary charisms are evangelization and catechesis. They have a beautiful facility and grounds. I found it interesting that they were initially established in Santa Fe, New Mexico by another bishop with Indiana roots, Archbishop Daeger, from Jennings County. For quite some time, I’ve wanted to visit this community of sisters, not only because of their long service to the Diocese of […]

Today I had the distinct pleasure of returning to a parish where I served as pastor for nine years to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony for a lovely couple. The groom was only 15 years old when I arrived in 1998 as pastor. I quickly came to know and love his family. I was very happy when I learned of his engagement to a beautiful and lovely young woman, and more than pleased to accept their invitation to celebrate their special day with them. Congratulations Steven & Kristina Bauerla! Below are the main thoughts […]

Sunday, the Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady of Grace Monastery celebrated the 25th Jublilee of Sr. Mary Nicolette Etienne, OSB, and Sr. Betty Jean Coveney, OSB. Sr. Nicolette is my sister, and I had the great pleasure of spending a good part of the weekend with the sisters along with my family. Our Lady of Grace Monastery has been a part of our family since before I was born. My mother’s sister, Sr. Jeanne Voges, OSB, was a founding member of the community. For the first time in a while, the whole family gathered […]

Even though roughly two thirds of our youth pilgrimage group continue touring in Italy, I’ve returned home with the other group. We arrived back in Cheyenne around 7:00 yesterday evening. The tour arrived in Rome late in the day, Friday, June 28. Our first full day was in Assisi, visiting the sights of St. Francis and St. Clair. Each day we celebrated Mass, prayed morning and evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, and had a catechesis to reflect more deeply upon our faith and the teachings of the Church. Some of the catechesis […]

Well, friends, sorry that I have been unable to post as regularly as hoped regarding our youth pilgrimage to Rome. The WiFi access at our residence has been practically non-existent. The visit has been a tremendous success from my vantage point. No doubt, the Good Lord is the sole judge of open hearts and the willingness of anyone to walk more closely with Christ. However, the last few days have found these young people putting in long days, visiting the tombs of many great saints and apostles, and staying positive. This morning, we celebrated […]

Welcome to my blog, and thanks for visiting! I became the 4th Archbishop of Anchorage on November 9, 2016 after 7 years as the Bishop of Cheyenne and many more as a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianpolis.

Preaching is a priority for my episcopal ministry, and this blog is my humble effort to engage the New Evangelization and to serve you, God’s holy, faithful people! Enjoy your visit, and together, may we grow in truth and love.